5

P.—6a.

In regard to the cost of the stoppage at Glenelg, estimated by the Company at £10,000 per annum, I think it would be equitable that the Colony of South Australia should contribute £5,000 per annum, in addition to the rates of postage already referred to. Edward Langton, 20th August, 1873. Minister of Post and Telegraph Departments.

No. 3. The Hon. Dr. Pollen to the Hon. the Chief Seceetaet, Victoria. Sib,— Colonial Secretary's Office, "Wellington, lGth September, 1873. I have tho honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd August, in which you state that the Government of Victoria are willing to carry the New Zealand mails between Melbourne and Galle and Galle and Melbourne, on receipt of the postages described in your letter, the Government of New Zealand to provide for carrying the mails between Melbourne and New Zealand. I have the honor to state that the Government of New Zealand accept your proposal. With respect to the question you raise as to the mode of taking an account, I enclose for your information copy of a Memorandum by the Acting Secretary to the General Post Office, suggesting tho adoption of a plan similar to that adopted by the Imperial Government, in the case of the correspondence by the Panama Service. We shall be happy to adopt any reasonable plan you may consider desirable for taking the account of postages. Certainly, as you remark, there are great objections to having the mails examined after they reach, or before they leave, Melbourne. As there may be difficulty in sending way-bills with each mail, probably you would not object to the way-bills following as soon as possible after the mails. On the whole, it appears to the Postmaster-General that the best course you can adopt in taking an account will be the course that the English Government will adopt in coming to a conclusion as to the amounts to be allowed to the Colonies for postages on letters. It is not meant that the net amounts will be the same ; for the Postmaster-General understands that you require the full amount of the postages on letters carried : but it is meant, that the mode taken of ascertaining the amount of correspondence upon which returns to the Colonies will be allowed, should be equally serviceable for taking the accounts of the Colonies separately. It is probable that the Imperial Post Offico will adopt a course similar to that adopted during the Panama Service, namely, striking an average of the weights for two or three months, by which means a conclusion will be arrived at as to the average number of letters contained in a given weight. By weighing correspondence in gross, before it is put into bags, tho amount to bo charged will be easily ascertained. I have, &c, Daniel Pollen. The Hon. the Chief Secretary, Victoria.

Enclosure in No. 3. Mehobandum for the Postmaster-General. It is considered more desirable to adopt an arrangement similar to that carried out by the Imperial Post Office with this Colony shortly after the Panama Service was established, rather than to account for a fixed rate of postage for each letter, book-packet, and newspaper. The London Post Office at first accounted for a fixed sum on each letter, &c, sent from London to New Zealand by the Panama line of steamers ; but as this involved an immense amount of labour in checking, both to the despatching and receiving offices, it was deemed advisable to adopt the system of accounting for a fixed rate, according to the weight in bulk of the correspondence contained in each mail. Special accounts were prepared by the London Office in order to determine the average rate of postage, according to weight, which would yield the actual postages collected on each class of correspondence ; and it was estimated that Is. 7fd. per oz. for letters, Is. 6fd. per lb. for book-packets, and 6iVd. per lb. for newspapers, represented the gross collections. As this is presumed to be an extreme average, and as it is also desirable to avoid the fractional parts of a penny, it is submitted that this Colony might, with equal fairness to the Government of Victoria, account at the following rates, viz.: —On letters, at Is. 7d. per oz.; on book-packets, at Is. Gd. per lb.-; and on newspapers, at 6d. per lb.; and if this basis of payment were adopted, it is believed that the payments would approximately represent the actual postages. In order to arrive at the net weight of the contents of each mail, it was the practice to take the total weight of the letters, after they were tied up in the ordinary bundles, but before being placed in wrapping paper. The book-packets and newspapers were weighed in mail bags, the tare being taken into account. Supposing this basis of payment to have been applied to the total correspondence despatched to, and received from, Great Britain during 1872, the following would be an approximate statement of this Colony's liability in respect of the Suez Service : — Payments,— J £ a. d. £ s. d. On Letters ... ... ... ... 18,734 6 4 On Books 1,067 2 0 On Newspapers ... ... ... 3,797 4 0 24,498 12 4 2